In Search of the Best Food at Summerfest

From chicken in a waffle cone to lobster BLTs, we hunted for the Big Gig's true bargains

No one goes to Summerfest just to eat. That's what State
Fair is for. But after eight hours of rockin' out, you're going to need a
little something to get you through those 10 p.m. headliners. I tried a
smattering of offerings so you don't have to. Here's our rundown of this year's hits and misses.

Burke's Lakeside: Lobster and shrimp BLT ($9)

This sandwich had real lobster in it! Color me surprised.
I'm not totally sure that fits the Summerfest crowd, but if seafood is your
thing it's a good option if you want something fresh and not coated in fryer
oil. The seafood salad was not too heavily dressed in mayo, and surprisingly
had mostly real lobster, including a whole claw. I did find a small amount of
what I suspect is imitation lobster, though, so maybe I just got lucky. There's
lots of greens and a token tomato slice, but who cares because the bacon is
tasty and crisp. The only problem is that you only get half a sandwich, for
NINE dollars.

Verdict: Eat something at home, then splurge on this to get
you through the night.

The King & I: Thai eggrolls, beef and vegetable ($1.75
each)

I love a great eggroll, especially when they're wrapped with
thin, super crackly rice paper as they are here. However, I also like my
eggrolls filled with something besides air. My first thought when I picked one
up was how light it was; not a good sign. My worries were confirmed when I took
my first bite and the poor roll deflated. The only discernible difference
between the vegetable and beef eggrolls was a few pieces of bland ground beef
that failed to make that roll any more substantial. I spied the fried squid and
pad Thai that other people had ordered though, and those looked pretty delicious.

Verdict: Try anything but the eggrolls.

Botanas: Mexican taco ($3.50)

What makes this taco Mexican by name is the traditional
cilantro and onion topping the chopped carne asada. The fact that they ask if
you'd prefer corn or flour tortillas isn't exactly authentic but hey, it's a
music festival. My advice is to always choose corn when there's an option, and
in most cases, you get doubled tortillas for tacos. Score! The carne asada is
really actually finely chopped braised beef, but the side of fruity, slightly
hot salsa makes up for it.

Verdict: A solid snack.

Mille's: Italian slider trio ($7.75)

Three baby sandwiches are served with potato chips: Italian
beef with jus, chicken parmesan and meatball. All have a small piece of
mozzarella on top, and the beef has one lonely piece of green pepper. The best
of the three was the chicken, even though it was a surpreme disappointment when
I realized the chicken parm wasn't breaded and fried. Still, it's a solid
little platter of Italian-American goodness, and great for sharing.

Verdict: Get it if you have problems committing to a single
sandwich.

Trinity: Chicken in a waffle cone ($6)

This is maybe the most talked about new item at the fest,
and the gimmick does draw new customers in I'm sure. Lucky for me, the fried
chicken strips were homemade and actually quite good—lots of seasoning and a
bit of heat as well. Really though, this should just be called "slaw in a
waffle cone" because that's what you get the most of, by far. The cone
itself isn't very flavorful, but there's also candied bacon hiding in there
somewhere, along with that delicious chicken.

Verdict: Everyone has "that friend" that will get
this. At least it's cheap.

Ultimate Confections: Turtle cheesecake ($6.50)

There aren't many dessert options at the fest that aren't of
the frozen variety. So on a cold opening day like this year's, I jumped at the
chance for some cheesecake. It turned out to be the best thing I ate all day.
The turtle variety is topped with warmed caramel, chocolate and lots of crunchy
pecans. The cheesecake isn't too dense and they don't skimp on the toppings.
It's a little too sweet though, so plan on sharing.

Verdict: Obey the siren song of the constant long lines at
this booth.

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